.. smile like you mean it.

On Saturday I was invited to Smileright, a dentist that's recently opened in Boots in Basingstoke. Oral hygiene and dentistry is something that you don't see very much of in beauty blogs and I really wanted to take this opportunity to write about it, so today's post will be about my experience at Smileright as well as things that I've learnt in general that I think are important.

I think a lot of people are put off going to the dentist because of bad experiences, either their own or of someone they know, but my dentist was lovely and explained that there's no reason that your relationship with your dentist should be any different to your relationship with your hairdresser - someone that you see little and often to keep things in check. Particularly appointments for cleaning (which can be arranged with a hygienist so you don't even need to see a dentist) are important and, though they can be slightly uncomfortable, they are necessary as ultimately we all want our teeth to be healthy and nice to look at.

The clinic at Smileright was really spacious and nicely designed with three large practice rooms - I really loved the raspberry colour scheme as it made the clinic feel much less medical and imposing than most dental surgeries. My dentist was friendly and really put me at ease before giving my teeth a thorough examination and cleaning, including taking X-rays to check for damage that wasn't visible as well as checking up on my wisdom teeth. Afterwards we spoke about what I could do to help keep my teeth in good condition. I always thought that my current habits (brushing at least twice a day without fail) was enough but there's more to think about than that which I don't know if everyone is aware of. My dentist explained to me what brushes might be best for me and let me know things I hadn't ever really thought about including the fact that you can over-brush your teeth and apply too much pressure which can cause damage to your gums (I'm guilty as charged, and am now looking into electric toothbrushes.) I will be going for more regular cleanings too rather than over-brushing to try and get rid of any stains that develop on my teeth from drinking excessive amounts of tea. I will also be flossing far more regularly (even though for some reason I think of it as an utter chore, is that just me?!) Their website states that Smileright believe that prevention is better than cure, and the suggestions I was given about how I personally could help my teeth according to my own needs was really helpful. As an added bonus, my dentist was really lovely too and we ended up chatting about Topshop - see, not scary at all!

After my check up, I was chatting to Georgina (who works with Smile Right) about beauty blogging and how people rarely write about teeth despite the fact that tooth whitening is becoming very mainstream and having braces is now the norm rather than the exception. Even after a teeth cleaning I was really surprised at how much of a difference it made, and is definitely something I'll be doing more often. If you're nearby (or local to the other Smileright clinic in Cheltenham) they are on Facebook and Twitter so check them out!

We go through a lot to look after our teeth and I think it's better to find out now what we can be doing to protect them rather than trying to sort out years of neglect when it starts to take it's toll. And finding a good dentist is a good first stop for that.

What are your thoughts on going to the dentist - chore or routine? Have you ever been nervous at the thought of getting your teeth checked?